Skip to content

Our Future in Focus Strategic Plan

Guided by Purpose. Focused on the Future.

Milton Hershey School’s Our Future in Focus strategic plan, also known as the MILT Plan, carried the vision for MHS between 2020-2025. Under the visionary leadership and direction of President Pete Gurt ’85, the MHS community not only overcame the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic but emerged more united, resilient, and prepared than ever to launch our bold new direction.

Celebrating the Impact of the MILT Plan

Video Poster

The GIFT Strategic Framework

Building on the successes of Our Future in Focus Strategic Plan (also known as The MILT Plan), we’re excited to introduce our next chapter—The GIFT Strategic Framework. This bold nine-year vision will guide our continued growth and impact. 

Review The GIFT Plan

The MILT Plan Achievements

Our Future in Focus Strategic Plan has positively shaped every facet of the Milton Hershey School community—driving meaningful progress and lasting impact. Discover the powerful results below.

Home Life

  • Nurturing and stable family-like environment bolstered by augmented houseparent recruitment success despite sourcing challenges.
  • Integrated and aligned character education expectations brought to life through The Milton Hershey Way and owned by Home Life staff.

Scholastics

  • Core academics that ensure students master high-level literacy and STEM skills required for in-demand, family-sustaining careers.
  • Exemplary academic outcomes, with students performing in top 7% of all PA districts across all PSSA and Keystone exams in 2024.

Career and Technical Education

  • MHS career pathways are aligned to high-value labor market needs with embedded authentic work experiences, credentials of value, and early postsecondary opportunities.

One Hershey

  • Established One Hershey Vision and scaled Hershey strategic partnerships to support Career-Focused Education, mentoring, job pipelines and placement, and marketing and communications.  

Strong Brand

  • Brand and model are nationally and regionally recognized as leading in the field of social-emotional skill development and Career-Focused Education.  

Employer of Choice

  • Highly competitive employer of choice through targeted marketing, recruitment, and retention efforts, including strengthened professional and leadership development.  

Culture of Safety

  • CALEA-accredited campus safety staff and school-wide processes provide safe and secure environment for students to learn and develop, and for the school community to flourish.  

Commitment to Quality and Risk Management

  • Strong integrated Enterprise Risk Management, Compliance, and Quality Assurance frameworks, controls, and practices mitigate risk while ensuring efficient, effective, and aligned processes.  

Support of CHS

  • Development of an effective shared services structure to support CHS’s growth and sustained success. 
Milton Hershey School founder, Milton S. Hershey, with a student.

Origins of the MILT Plan

When Milton and Catherine Hershey founded our school in 1909, they intended to give children with less more. For 115 years and counting, we have done that. The MILT plan focused on four key areas:

  • Modeling Character and Well-Being
  • Innovating Career-Focused Education
  • Leveraging Impact
  • Teamwork to Strengthen Community Alignment and Engagement
a group of circular icons in front of a building

Our Future in Focus: The MILT Plan

Milton Hershey School student athletes prepare for a game with their basketball coach.

Modeling Character and Well-Being

At Milton Hershey School, we are committed to preparing our students to enter the world after graduation equipped to thrive as self-sufficient adults who are thoughtful, compassionate, and ready to make a positive impact on their communities.

A Milton Hershey School student meets with her Graduate Programs for Success (GPS) counselor.

Innovating Career-Focused Education

Milton Hershey School has a long history of Career-Focused Education. Since 1909, we have intentionally incorporated career training into our curriculum, and in the process, developed an award-winning Career and Technical Education program. As our world and the workforce continue to evolve, it is more important than ever that our school curriculum and career-readiness approach also evolve.

A Milton Hershey School teacher instructs his students.

Leveraging Impact

Milton and Catherine Hershey strongly believed that the power to build an exceptional life begins with an education. They created Milton Hershey School to bring the life-changing power of education to children in need. By creating impactful solutions to difficult issues, MHS has changed thousands of lives and is now in the position to change thousands more by expanding the impact of the Hersheys’ vision.

Milton Hershey School transportation employees in front of a school bus.

Teamwork to Strengthen Community Alignment and Engagement

We get a true understanding of the strength and ability of an organization by the people in it. At Milton Hershey School, this includes staff, students, parents/sponsors, and alumni. By attracting and retaining the best, most talented people and deepening the sense of purpose, belonging, and collaboration among everyone in the MHS family, we strengthen our school community and keep the close-knit bonds that make MHS welcoming and unique.

middle division friends in hallway

Admissions

Enroll a Student
nurse checking a student's pulse

Career Opportunities

View Job Listings
senior division student home making dinner

Houseparents

Learn More

Milton Hershey School does not discriminate in admissions or other programs and services on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, sex, religious creed or disability. Read important MHS policies on equal opportunity and diversity, equal employment opportunity, and more.

© 2025 Milton Hershey School
Also of Interest